Colorado’s two new In-N-Out locations are facing a COVID-19 outbreak among employees, as the number of positive tests continued to climb this week.
As many as 145 employees from the Colorado Springs and Aurora In-N-Out locations have tested positive for COVID-19 since an initial outbreak this past December, according to a report released by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment on Wednesday, the Denver Post reported.
The Colorado Springs location has counted 83 COVID-19 cases since its outbreak first began on Dec. 6; Aurora has 62 positive tests since the outbreak began on Dec. 17. (An outbreak is defined as two or more positive cases tied to a location or event, according to Colorado state health officials.)
The outbreaks at the two In-N-Out locations are said to be the largest among the state’s restaurants since the start of the pandemic, according to the Gazette. Despite that, the two restaurants remain open, as an outbreak doesn’t require a closure — however, local health departments can force a shutdown if needed. (It should be noted that In-N-Out can voluntarily close.)
The health departments that oversee those two locations did not say a forced closure was on the horizon, when asked by the Gazette. One county spokeswoman told the paper that there are no current recommendations to close its local In-N-Out, and In-N-Out leadership is in “regular communication” with the health department.
“Based on Public Health’s follow up and investigation, In-N-Out is adhering to frequent cleaning and disinfecting protocols, in addition to enacting employee screenings, exclusion of ill employees, and cohorting staff,” Natalie Sosa, spokeswoman for El Paso County, told the Gazette. “Recommendations to temporarily close are given when transmission within the facility is identified and to allow for proper cleaning and disinfecting.”
El Paso County said in a statement to the Colorado Springs Business Journal that no customers at the Colorado Springs location have been linked to the outbreak. It’s unclear if the same holds true for the Aurora outpost.
Denny Warnick, In-N-Out’s vice president of operations, said that Colorado’s two In-N-Out locations currently have “less than five active confirmed cases” and they are seeing “substantial improvement” in the number of cases occurring, he told restaurant trade publication, Nation’s Restaurant News. The employees who previously tested positive have since recovered, he said, and are “presently healthy and well.”
“We are working closely with our public health agencies to review and confirm that the proactive steps we are taking are appropriate and effective in protecting our communities,” Warnick said in part. “This includes limiting the number of Associates and Customers indoors, using staffing ‘cohorts,’ and responding quickly to identify and exclude from work anyone who has been in close contact with an individual who has tested positive.
“We remain committed to doing our part to prevent the spread of COVID-19,” he continued. “The actions that we will continue to take in our Colorado restaurants are guided by our commitment to protect the health and safety of our Customers and Associates.”
Two In-N-Out locations in Southern California have also experienced a COVID-19 outbreak among its employees. The Palmdale and Sherman Oaks locations have had seven and eight employees, respectively, test positive for COVID-19, Nation’s Restaurant News reported.
Colorado has been excited for the arrival of In-N-Out since the announcement was first made in 2017; when the Colorado Springs and Aurora locations opened on Nov. 20 of last year, customers waited as long as 12 hours to get their hands on a Double-Double.